The 3 best websites to find cheap flights, and how to use them
Three free search sites cover almost every route: Google Flights, Skyscanner and Kayak. They compare fares and then send you to an airline or an online travel agency to pay. Each one is good at something different, so it helps to know which to open first.
Key points
- Google Flights is quickest for finding the cheapest dates.
- Skyscanner and Kayak catch airlines and agencies that Google misses.
- Compare on search sites, then check the airline's own price before you pay.
1. Google Flights: best for flexible dates
Google Flights is fast and easy to read. The date grid and price graph show how the fare changes if you leave a day or two earlier or later, which is often the biggest saving available. If you haven't picked a destination, the Explore map shows where you can fly from your airport and roughly what it costs. Turn on price tracking and Google emails you when the fare moves. On many routes it also says whether today's price is low, typical or high compared with the usual range.
The weak spot: it doesn't list every low-cost airline or every small agency. If a fare is missing from Google Flights, that doesn't prove it doesn't exist.
2. Skyscanner: best when the destination is open
Skyscanner searches a wide range of airlines and agencies, including many low-cost carriers. Type 'Everywhere' as the destination and it lists places by price from your airport. Choose a whole month instead of fixed dates and it shows the cheapest days to travel. It's a good way to find a cheap trip when you care more about the price than the place.
The weak spot: the cheapest result is often an agency you haven't heard of. Before you click through, check who you'll actually be paying, read some recent reviews and compare the price with the airline's own website.
3. Kayak: best for comparing agencies side by side
Kayak and its sister site Momondo, both owned by Booking Holdings, show airline and agency prices next to each other, with filters for stops, times, airlines and baggage. Kayak also offers 'Hacker Fares', which combine two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines, when that works out cheaper than a return.
The weak spot: a Hacker Fare is two separate bookings. If your outbound flight is cancelled, the airline flying you home has no duty to change your return. That's fine for simple trips and risky for tight schedules.
How to use them together
- Start on Google Flights to find the cheapest dates.
- Run the same dates on Skyscanner or Kayak to catch airlines and agencies Google missed.
- Open the airline's own website and check its price for the same flights.
- Book wherever the total cost and the change rules suit you best. More often than not, that's the airline itself.
Booking through an agency: what to check first
- The real total. Add bags, seat fees and any card or service fee that appears only at the last step.
- Who you'll deal with. If you book through an agency, changes and refunds usually go through the agency, not the airline.
- Separate tickets. 'Self-transfer' or 'virtual interlining' means you're on your own if a delay makes you miss the next flight.
- Your details. Make sure the email address and phone number are yours, so the airline can reach you about schedule changes.
What about low-cost airlines?
Some low-cost airlines prefer that you book on their own site, and may ask passengers who booked through a third party to verify their details before check-in. If you're flying a low-cost carrier, it's usually simplest to compare on a search site and then book with the airline directly.
For the bigger picture on fares, read how to find cheaper flights. Reading German? Our guide Günstige Flüge buchen covers airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Keep reading
- How to find cheaper flights without chasing coupons
- How to plan better flights
- Günstige Flüge buchen: so finden Sie Flüge, die wirklich günstig sind
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